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Maintenance and service
11 - 3
11
– CONTINUED –
Maintenance and service
Maintenance scheduleThe scheduled maintenance items re-
quired to be serviced at regular intervals
are shown in the “Saab Warranty and Ser-
vice Record Booklet”.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the separate “Saab Warranty and
Service Record Booklet”.
Maintenance precautionsWhen maintenance and service are re-
quired, it is recommended that all work be
done by an authorized Saab dealer.
If you perform maintenance and service
by yourself, you should familiarize your-
self with the information provided in this
section on general maintenance and ser-
vice for your Saab.
Incorrect or incomplete service could
cause improper or unsafe vehicle opera-
tion. Any problems caused by improper
maintenance and service performed by
you are not eligible for warranty coverage.Testing of an All-Wheel Drive ve-
hicle must NEVER be performed
on a single two-wheel dynamome-
ter or similar apparatus. Attempt-
ing to do so will result in transmis-
sion damage and in uncontrolled
vehicle movement and may cause
an accident or injuries to persons
nearby.
Always select a safe area when
performing maintenance on your
vehicle.
Always be very careful to avoid in-
jury when working on the vehicle.
Remember that some of the mate-
rials in the vehicle may be hazard-
ous if improperly used or handled,
for example, battery acid.
Your vehicle should only be ser-
viced by persons fully competent
to do so. Serious personal injury
may result to persons not experi-
enced in servicing vehicles.
Always use the proper tools and
make certain that they are well
maintained.
Never get under the vehicle sup-
ported only by a jack. Always use
a safety stands to support the ve-
hicle.
Never keep the engine running in
a poorly ventilated area, such as a
garage or other closed areas.
Do not smoke or allow open
flames around the fuel or battery.
This will cause a fire.
Because the fuel system is under
pressure, replacement of the fuel
filter should be performed only by
your Saab dealer.
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11 - 4
Maintenance and service
Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
When you do checking or ser-
vicing in the engine compart-
ment while the engine is run-
ning
Engine hood
0
To open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their original
positions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel. Wear adequate eye protection to
guard against getting oil or fluids
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly wash
them out with clean water.
Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seatbelt
pretensioner system, or attempt
to take its connectors apart, as
that may activate the system or it
can render it inoperative. The wir-
ing and connectors of these sys-
tems are yellow for easy identifi-
cation. NEVER use a circuit tester
for these wiring.
If your SRS airbag or seatbelt pre-
tensioner needs service, consult
your nearest Saab dealer.
Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving.
Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after the
engine is stopped.
Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other
fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position, the
cooling fan may operate suddenly
even when the engine is stopped.
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving en-
gine parts. Removing rings, watch-
es and ties is advisable.
B00002
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Maintenance and service
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– CONTINUED –
3. Release the secondary hood release
located under the front grille by moving
the lever toward the left.
Lift up the hood, release the hood propfrom its retainer and put the end of the
hood prop into the slot in the hood.
To close the hood:
1. Lift the hood slightly and remove the
hood prop from the slot in the hood and re-
turn the prop to its retainer.
2. Lower the hood until it approaches ap-
proximately 12 in (30 cm) from the closed
position and let it drop.
After closing the hood, be sure the hood is
securely locked.
If this does not close the hood, release it
from a slightly higher position. Do not
push the hood forcibly to close it. It could
deform the metal.
B00479B00141
Always check that the hood is prop-
erly locked before you start driving.
If it is not, it might fly open while the
vehicle is moving and block your
view, which may cause an accident
and serious bodily injury.
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11 - 6
Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overviewNon-turbo models
12 3456
7 8 9 10 11
1312
B00464
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-19) or Differential gear
oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-22)
3) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level
gauge (page 11-20)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-40)
7) Battery (page 11-39)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-35)
9) Engine coolant reservoir
(page 11-13)
10) Engine coolant reservoir
oil level gauge (page 11-8)
11) Engine oil level gauge filler cap
(page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-13)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
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Maintenance and service
11 - 7
– CONTINUED –
11 Turbo models
12 3456
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
B00466
1) Air cleaner element (page 11-15)
2) Manual transmission oil level gauge
(MT) (page 11-19) or Differential gear
oil level gauge (AT) (page 11-22)
3) Automatic transmission fluid level
gauge (page 11-20)
4) Clutch fluid reservoir (page 11-26)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-25)
6) Fuse box (page 11-40)
7) Battery (page 11-39)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-35)
9) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-8)
10) Engine coolant reservoir
(page 11-13)
11) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-8)
12) Radiator cap (page 11-13)
13) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-24)
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11 - 8
Maintenance and service
Engine oilChecking the oil levelCheck the engine oil level at each fuel
stop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and
insert it again.
3. Be sure the dipstick is correctly insert-
ed until it stops with the graphic symbol
“ ” on its top appearing as shown in
the illustration.
1) Notch
2) Upper level
3) Lower level4. Pull out the dipstick again and check
the oil level on it. If it is below the lower
level, add oil to bring the level up to the up-
per level.
If you check the oil level just after stopping
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil to
drain back into the oil pan before checking
the level.
Just after driving or while the engine is
warm, the engine oil level reading may be
in a range between the upper level and
the notch mark. This is caused by thermal
expansion of the engine oil.
To prevent overfilling the engine oil, do not
add any additional oil above the upper lev-
el when the engine is cold.Changing the oil and oil filterChange the oil and oil filter according to
the maintenance schedule in the “Saab
Warranty and Service Record Booklet”.
The engine oil and oil filter must be
changed more frequently than listed in the
maintenance schedule when driving on
dusty roads, when short trips are frequent-
ly made, or when driving in extremely cold
whether.
1. Warm up the engine by letting the en-
gine idle for approximately 10 minutes to
ease draining the engine oil.
2. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
3. Remove the oil filler cap.
B00467
Use only engine oil with the rec-
ommended grade and viscosity.
Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the
exhaust pipe, it may cause a bad
smell, smoke, and/or a fire. If en-
gine oil gets on the exhaust pipe,
be sure to wipe it off.
1
2
3
B00418
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Maintenance and service
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– CONTINUED –
Turbo
modelsNon-turbo models
4. Drain out the engine oil by removing
the drain plug while the engine is still
warm. The used oil should be drained into
an appropriate container and disposed of
properly.
5. Wipe the seating surface of the drain
plug with a clean cloth and tighten it se-
curely with a new sealing washer after the
oil has completely drained out.
6. Remove under cover. Do not touch the exhaust manifold
or turbocharger. These get very hot
when the engine has been running.
B00449
Be careful not to burn yourself
with hot engine oil.
Do not spill oil on hot parts of the
engine as this could cause a fire.
Used engine oil is particulary
flammable.
B00450
Prolonged and repeated exposure
of the skin to engine oil can cause
serious skin disorders. The risk of
cancer cannot be ruled out.
Wash the affected area thorough-
ly with soap and water after any
contact.
Keep oil out of the reach of chil-
dren.
Protect the environment. Do not
dispose of oil into the ground or
down a drain. Dispose of all used
oil and oil filters at an appropriate
disposal facility.
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11 - 1 0
Maintenance and service
Turbo models
Non-turbo models7. Remove the oil filter with an oil filter
wrench.8. Before installing a new genuine Saab
oil filter, apply a thin coat of engine oil to
the seal.
9. Clean the rubber seal seating area of
the bottom of engine and install the genu-
ine Saab oil filter by hand turning. Be care-
ful not to twist or damage the seal.
10.Tighten the oil filter by the amount indi-
cated in the following table after the seal
makes contact with the bottom of engine.
Please see your Saab dealer for correct
oil filter information for your vehicle.
11.Reinstall under cover.
12.Pour engine oil through the filler neck.
Oil capacity (guideline):
4.2 US qt (4.0 liters, 3.5 Imp qt)
The oil quantity indicated above is only
guideline.
The necessary quantity of oil depends on
the quantity of oil that has been drained.
The quantity of drained oil differs slightly
depending on the temperature of the oil
and the time the oil is left flowing out. After
refilling the engine with oil, therefore, you
must the dipstick to confirm that the level
is correct.
13.Start the engine and make sure that no
oil leaks appear around the filter’s rubber
seal and drain plug.
14.Run the engine until it reaches the nor-
mal operating temperature. Then stop the
engine and wait a few minutes to allow the
oil to drain back. Check the oil level again
and if necessary, add more engine oil.
B00451B00452
Oil filter color Amount of rotation
Black 1 rotation
White 2/3 – 3/4 rotation
Never over tighten the oil filter be-
cause that can result in an oil leak.
Thoroughly wipe off any engine
oil that has spilled over the ex-
haust pipe and/or under-cover. If
left unremoved, the oil could
catch fire.
Be careful not to spill engine oil
when adding it. If oil touches the ex-
haust pipe, it may cause a bad smell,
smoke, and/or a fire.
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